


Ancestor

by sumChick



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Angst, Dom/sub, F/F, Fenrir - Freeform, Fluff, M/M, Norse Mythology - Freeform, Romance, Slow Build, Thor - Freeform, Threesome, experimentation/clones
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-04
Updated: 2016-02-29
Packaged: 2018-05-04 22:12:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5350319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sumChick/pseuds/sumChick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A dossier Shepard receives for a crew member to help in the fight for the collectors takes her through another 'suicidal' relay and with very little information on the new member who knows what she will find? She only decided to go through with it by taking advice from Garrus and Thane.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Empty Dossier

**Author's Note:**

> Bioware owns all the Mass Effect characters in this fanfic I own the OC’s and some aspects of the story. Mainly any of the story that revolves around Tobias and friends (my OC’s)
> 
> Notes: This is a fanfic set during the timeline of Mass Effect 2 and just kind of adding my own original characters to the mix. The story is somewhat canon but focuses more on the relationships than the story, and my character makes some of the story diverge from the original storyline. This is my first fanfic and I’d love comments and constructive criticism.  
> \- If my brother reads this he’ll know who Tobias is ;)
> 
> There’s some bad language and Norse mythology, may be smut somewhere later, I don’t really know. And please forgive editing/spelling errors, if you point them out I will fix them.

Shepard looked down at the datapad with the dossier of ‘the Ancestor’. It contained very little information on this ‘ancestor’ and his or her abilities. Just some information on the remains of the Cerberus crew members and shattered footage from the attacks. In the videos all that could be seen tearing through the complex was a humanoid shaped black blur that seemed to avoid the cameras with alarming precision. Their face never being caught on camera. The Hel Relay was one of the most unused relays within the known relay network lying out in the middle of the terminus systems. By all reports it only led to a system with only one garden world but apparently every team Cerberus had sent to investigate this mysterious planet had been killed and they’d sent some of their best operatives. The world itself seemed to have some extremely rare elements but surprisingly no eezo so flitting through the frustratingly empty dossier Shepard could not help but wonder why they would bother sending her after an old man on an apparently deserted world. Well deserted apart from ‘the Ancestor’ of course. What was even more curious was the mention of other ships and their crews that were not a part of Cerberus going through the Hel Relay and simply disappearing. The Hel Relay had almost as bad a reputation as the Omega 4 Relay except apparently people had gone through and enough survived to discourage any visitors.

She let out a slightly frustrated sigh and tossed the datapad down on the mess hall table.

“Problems?” Garrus witnessing her frustration as he walked into the mess in search of something remotely edible that was also dextro. Something in remarkably short supply on the primarily human vessel.

“I’m just not sure what to do with this new dossier, I mean so far they’ve pointed me towards some really amazing crew members but this one is just… too… vague…” Shepard responded tilting her neck back and rolling her shoulders. She wish Tali was here, someone bubbly to give her that much needed enthusiasm boost.

Not finding anything more palatable than grey paste that was meant to be ‘absolutely healthy for your turian crew mates in every way!’ – _stupid humans!_ Garrus wondered over to sit across from Shepard. “May I?” He asked while pointing at the datapad on the table, at Shepard’s nod he picked it up and read it with the turian equivalent of a frown.

While he was reading Thane seemingly emerged from the shadows and appeared besides Garrus. To his credit he merely nodded his acknowledgement of the galaxy’s most deadly assassin materializing out of thin air without jumping or turning away from his reading.

“May I look as well, Shepard?” His deep voice rumbled as he looked to Shepard with unblinking black orbs for eyes. She always found them slightly unsettling, along with his general lack of any expression. At her nod he glanced at the datapad over Garrus’s shoulder.

They hadn’t known each other long but being both snipers of considerable talent they seemed to bond over kill shots. Or at least it seemed like they’d bonded. Thane’s dead expression made it incredibly hard to tell.

“So what do you think?” Shepard asked once they had finished reviewing the meagre report on ‘the Ancestor’. She scratched her chin absentmindedly with a frown, feeling along the line of scars that Cerberus had left her with during her resurrection. “Worth it or a waste of time?”

Garrus glanced at Thane but took the initiative to speak first. “No idea, but have any of the dossiers been a miss so far? You’re assembling a hell of a crew Shepard. But we could use all the help we could get.”

“But the Hel Relay? How many suicide relays should we really be jumping through?” Shepard crossed her arms as she voiced her thoughts. Thane standing serenely behind Garrus and apparently not ready to contribute to the conversation yet.

Garrus gave a surprisingly human shrug. “Practice run for the real thing? Besides, I did say I’d follow you to hell and back I just didn’t quite expect it to be so literal.” He gave a little grin, flaring his mandibles slightly at his pun.

Shepard smirked. “Maybe but it seems like a hell of a risk.” She turned to her silent drell assassin. “Any thoughts?”

A full minute passed with both Garrus and Shepard staring at the silent drell as he stood serenely with his hands behind his back. Finally seeming to break from his train of thought he looked up to Shepard. “There is one line in the dossier which has piqued my curiosity.” He admitted, if anything he seemed puzzled that he was curious but again it was hard to tell with his deep black eyes and still-as-stone face. “ _’Strength unknown, predicted stronger than other crew members. Proceed with caution’_ “ He quoted from the datapad word for word without glancing at it. Eidetic memory at its finest. When the others didn’t seem to catch on to where he was going he continued in his deep, strangely solemn voice. “They seem to know more about this ‘Ancestor’ than they are letting on. I… would like to see how this ‘strength’ ranks against your current crew members. It could be an interesting test of our abilities as a team.”

Garrus snorted. “I think our great assassin just wants to put this ‘Ancestor’ in his place.” He looked back at Shepard. “But I still think we should go for it. One more couldn't hurt, if they don't kill us of course.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

He was training with Fenrir when he heard it. Another shuttle, as quickly and as silently as he could he made his way to the old Cerberus facility and watched as the shuttle entered the atmosphere of his world and landed just outside the destroyed complex. With Fenrir hiding in the shadows of nearby trees at his side he narrowed his deep blue eyes. Its colours were the same. Another ‘Order’ for the ‘greater good’. He almost spat in disgust and Fenrir let out a discontented growl at his side. They silenced as the doors opened and he almost took off to kill them straight away but a flash of green stopped him. The first person who came out was a red headed human woman with glowing scars but the next person? Alien? That came out of the shuttle was green and although humanoid in appearance it clearly wasn’t human. That had never happened before, from what the operatives he had killed had screamed Cerberus was a ‘pro-human’ group. Like any of their twisted experiments could be classified as ‘pro-human’. The next being to walk out of the shuttle was not human either, in a long white coat that looked someone reminiscent of a human lab coat he? She? It? Walked out with its face shoved into an interface of some device on its arm. It was tall and thin and looked like a frog with a human body but it was kind of orange and creamy… maybe a little pink. Large eyes too, like the green one.

Curiously he scented the air, the woman had a scent of death about her which was unusual because she was clearly alive but he could smell something… synthetic about her and he had to fight back another growl. Experiments again. But the others clearly smelled… not human.

The frog man had a scent similar to river moss and disinfectant. The other… The green one in leather… His scent was…

Manly in a way that made him ache, something deep and earthy mixed with delicious smelling cinnamon-like cloves. Sweet, musky and strong.

But he could also scent the blood on his hands. This one was a killer… like him.

_It might not be so bad. Maybe we should talk to them?_

I don’t know… It’s been awhile and they’re all yellow and black like those other fuckers.

_If they are as bad as the others we can always kill them. No harm in trying-_

**Fuck you, just kill them al-fucking-ready. I want blood so fucking badly and I know you…**

His eyes widen slightly and his heart begins to pound in his chest as he pushes the voices in his head back. The green one had turned its head slightly… it was looking straight at him!


	2. Older Than I Look

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This kid couldn’t really be ‘the Ancestor’ could he? The file mentioned someone who had lived an incredibly long time with a lifespan that could easily rival that of a krogan or an asari. Not some human who barely looked out of their teens.
> 
> Shepard raised an eyebrow and looked at Thane whose dark eyes hadn’t once left the young man’s face. Mordin prattles on about the uniqueness of the planet and keeps running his scans.
> 
> “Clearly evolved garden world. Wonder ocean structure? Could find seashells.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: I should also note that I am taking some liberties with the story and stuff. Some aspects of Tobias may be confusing to some and I will explain them the best I can trying to fit it all in the story. This is actually a crossover of Mass Effect and my own story (which I tried to get published and failed :( ) I just thought it’d be fun to plop Tobias in Mass Effect so that’s what I’m doing. Now – On to the story!

Shepard leaves the shuttle with Thane and Mordin. Mordin immediately starts running scans and speaking faster than her space hamster on coffee. She looks around the area. A forest has overtaken the ruins of some kind of Cerberus facility. She can clearly see the Cerberus logo on the ruined gates. The trees are lush and green and remind her a lot of the few forests that still pepper Earth. The report had said that it had only been a year and a half since the last attempt at occupation and the vegetation had wasted no time in claiming the human facility. She scans the tree line, she can feel someone watching her but she doesn’t know where…

Turning to Thane to ask about the prickling feeling of eyes on her she notices that he is focusing on one steady point off into the trees. His body is tense and his eyes concentrating on one singular space. She turns her head too as the undergrowth begins to rustle. They draw their weapons and wait.

Slowly and with hands raised in a non-threatening pose a tall young _human_ man steps from the trees. His eyes scan the three of them but linger the longest on Thane before turning to face Shepard, clearly deciding that she was the one in charge. He approaches slowly and Shepard looks him up and down, trying to get a feel of what exactly he is capable of.

He is young looking with medium length auburn hair that hung in his eyes and just below his ears. It was slightly scruffy but fit in with his angular but handsome face. A small triangular beard angled down from his chin just below his plump lips and was a darker colour than his hair. His eyes were a deep dark blue that reminded Shepard of deep ocean depths and even though she generally preferred women even she noticed that he was a good looking male. His clothes left little to the imagination with a short tight vest of some kind of hide that did little to hide his lean, muscular chest and nothing to hide his strong arms and broad shoulders. His tight brown pants that looked somewhat reminiscent of leather show off the shape of his long toned legs and the vest does nothing to hide his sharp hips with incredible toned abs. While noticing the toned shape of said abdominal muscles Shepard noticed the black belt criss-crossing over his waist and two large, matching guns sitting either side in the holster. One black and one white. Revolvers by the looks of them, relics and definitely outdated. If this man was the one they were looking for he was due for an upgrade.

When he reached them Shepard and Mordin lowered their weapons but Thane held onto his and the young man turned his gaze once more to the drell assassin with a smirk before turning back to the Commander. Relaxing with one arm crossed over his chest he used the other to toy idly with the charm on the collar around his neck. Thane lowered his gun at a glance from his Commander but didn’t relax his stance.

Shepard had to do a double take. That’s right… a collar. Just like a dog collar but this one looked soft and well-worn like it had been worn faithfully for many years. It was then that she noticed the scars on his chest and abdomen. So this guy was definitely a fighter then.

“Hm, typical young human adult male. Slightly taller than average height. Under weight for height. Recommend new diet and exercise regimen.” Mordin prattled on about how ‘average’ he was.

This kid couldn’t really be ‘the Ancestor’ could he? The file mentioned someone who had lived an incredibly long time with a lifespan that could easily rival that of a krogan or an asari. Not some human who barely looked out of their teens.

Shepard raised an eyebrow and looked at Thane whose dark eyes hadn’t once left the young man’s face. Mordin prattles on about the uniqueness of the planet and keeps running his scans.

“Clearly evolved garden world. Wonder ocean structure? Could find seashells.”

The young man snorts. “Seashells… sure… That way to the beach frog man.” He gestures lazily to the side before once again playing with the charm on his neck. “Wouldn’t go alone though, you might get eaten.” His voice is smooth and youthful but still masculine. It had a slightly musical roll to it that Shepard felt crawl seductively up her spine. Ok this guy was going to eat the women on board the Normandy alive - if he was of course the ‘Ancestor’. “So what are you doing here? Your scent isn’t the same as the ones who did that.” He nods behind them at the facility.

“Is that why you killed them? They smelled bad?” Shepard asked incredulously.

The young man shrugged. “Yes.” He said simply as though it were the most natural response in the world.

At his affirmation however Shepard questioned him once more. “I am Commander Shepard of the Normandy SR-2. Are you the Ancestor?” She felt kind of silly asking that question but the dossier hadn’t given her any other name.

He stopped playing with his charm and looked the Commander in the eyes. It was then that she noticed that even though he had a typical Caucasian skin tone with a slight tan, his eyes were rimmed with black and it didn’t seem to be makeup but some kind of natural marking or perhaps a tattoo. Although why a man on an abandoned planet would want to tattoo eyeliner on himself she had no idea but who was she to judge?

“Ancestor… That’s… interesting.” He said after a minute before once again playing with his charm.

When he didn’t seems inclined to offer and more information Shepard tried again. “Look I don’t have a lot of time. Are you the Ancestor or aren’t you?”

“I’m sorry but you are the ones invading my planet, shouldn’t you be answering my questions?”

Shepard scoffed. “ _Your_ planet?”

The man stood slightly taller and looked down into the Commander’s eyes. He was not much taller than Shepard but she was incredibly tall for a human woman. His hands drifted idly down to sit at his waist and close to his guns. Both Mordin and Thane raised their guns to face him once more but the young man didn’t spare them a glance. “I am the only one left alive here to guard this sacred place. The ones who came before you cared only for power and personal gain.” He lifted his head slightly and sniffed at the air. “You do not smell like them, you are untainted by greed and corruption and it is the only reason I have not slaughtered you and your team. Now tell me, why are you here? Why disturb my solitude when I have made it so obvious that I do not wish to be disturbed?”

Never one to be intimidated Shepard squared her shoulders and met the man stare for stare but just as she was about to open her mouth to give him her own little speech his eye twitched curiously and his face turned slightly red. She was about to ask him if he was alright when he burst out laughing so violently and suddenly that she almost shot him. Almost.

He laughed so hard that tears were coming out of his eyes and he doubled over holding onto his stomach with one hand and Shepard’s shoulder with the other. She had half a mind to shoot him in the foot from this vulnerable position he had put himself in and judging by the looks she was getting from her team mates they were about ready to shoot him as well.  
“Sorry! Sorry…” He let out a breath and calmed himself, “I was just trying so hard to come across as ‘Mysteriously serious’!” He said in a mockingly serious tone.

“Prolonged lack of social contact, potential for mental instability. Advise caution. Erratic behaviour can be,” Mordin took a breath. “Problematic.”

Shepard threw a look at Mordin that clearly said ‘Don’t antagonize the potentially crazy alien’.

The man shrugged. “It has been a long time, he could be right. But for the record, I really am the only one left of my people. It really is my job to protect this place and it really is sacred ground. And I really did kill all the people in that facility, although not before I asked them… politely… to leave.”

The more he spoke the more Shepard noticed something strange about his speech, every time he referred to himself he paused slightly before saying ‘I’ or ‘my’. She put it down as something evidently lost in translation. For all she knew that’s how everyone on this planet had spoken. Maybe referring to yourself was another sacred thing, who knew?

“If you are the only one here, how can _you_ be the Ancestor? You are way too young according to the information I was given.”

He smirked and crossed his arms. “I’m older than I look. So since you’re obviously looking for me I don’t suppose you’d mind telling me what exactly you want from me? And the name’s Tobias, not ‘Ancestor’.”


	3. Old Enemies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The doors to the shuttle opened and Garrus found that he was holding his breath again but what came out of the shuttle was not was he expected at all.
> 
> Bounding out happily on all fours before and of the others had even had a chance to step out was a large, white, fluffy, four legged creature that looked somewhat like a Varren but softer and less deadly. He stood up off the wall he’d been lounging against as the creature pranced around and sniffed the air and noticing him came over to give him a friendly sniff as well.

**Tobias**

What an interesting group. I haven’t enjoyed myself this much for… well, Gods. I don’t even know how long. And that green one, he reeked of death and deadly sexuality in equal intoxicating parts. What do you guys think? Should I get his number? Is that even still relevant?

_Don’t think with your dick._

**You don’t kill as much as you used to. But a good fuck could be good too. Make sure there’s blood-**

I cut the voices in my head off as I focus once more on ‘Commander Shepard’. She is all military I can see it in her stance and smell it in her blood. She exudes strength and confidence and I admire it.

“We’re putting together a team to head through the Omega-4 relay and stop the collectors. They’re abducting whole human colonies. Tens of thousands are already missing.” So a buttload of missing people. And she needs a team of the best to help her stop them. I could get into this.

“Any idea why they’re taking people?” You don’t just abduct people for fun. Not that many and certainly not alive.

“No, but we’re certain it has something to do with the Reapers.” The name almost floors me and for an instant my cocky mask slips before I can reign in my expression. They notice, they all notice. “You know about the Reapers?” She asks me and her scent starts to reflect a kind of… longing. She wants me to believe her?

I look around and rub my goatee before turning back to her. “They’re the reason I’m the last one on this planet.” Not entirely true, there’s Fenrir but he’s still hanging back to make sure I have the advantage if this turns into a fight.

She opens her mouth to speak again but I raise my hand and shake my head slightly. “Please… a minute…” I am grateful when she obliges me and I glance once more to the green man as he continues to stare at me coolly. Calculating how quickly he could kill me if I attempted to harm his Commander no doubt. 

_This is… unexpected._

Tell me about it. There’s just no way… but the Reapers I mean… How long has it been?

_Too long. Far too long, we can’t let this chance slip by._

You’re right. We might finally get our revenge. Worth taking a few risks right?

_Indeed._

**You guys talk too fucking much.**

“Alright, I’ll help you but I have a few conditions.”

__________________________________________________________________

**Garrus**

Garrus was a little annoyed that Shepard had decided to leave him behind while she searched for ‘the Ancestor’ when she’d deigned to give him the deciding vote. He’d freely admit that he was curious. What would it look like? Was it a new type of alien? He tried to imagine what it could possibly look like as he waited rather impatiently in the waiting bay. Supposedly it was close to a thousand years old or even older. Spirits he was curious. He knew that he shouldn’t be quite so… excitable about this but he had a feeling that the pain medication he was on for his face had something to do with it. Dr Chakwas had told him there might be some mild side effects but nothing that would hinder his combat abilities.

That didn’t stop him from being curious and childishly excited to meet this Ancestor alien.

When the shuttle finally returned and docked safely he let out a breath that he had been holding. So the Ancestor hadn’t killed them all, that was a good sign. Of course with Thane on the ground team he hadn’t really been all that worried. Shepard was strong and very capable but she could also be much too trusting… in his opinion. Of course that trust she showed had one her quite a few powerful allies over the years and Garrus knew that if it didn’t he would be there to watch her six. She was more than just a Commander to him, she was his best friend and although he would never admit it to her she was like a sister to him.

The doors to the shuttle opened and Garrus found that he was holding his breath again but what came out of the shuttle was not was he expected at all.

Bounding out happily on all fours before and of the others had even had a chance to step out was a large, white, fluffy, four legged creature that looked somewhat like a varren but softer and less deadly. He stood up off the wall he’d been lounging against as the creature pranced around and sniffed the air and noticing him came over to give him a friendly sniff as well.

Now he was confused but who was he to judge? Look at the Elcor. “Ancestor?” He asked the creature curiously and it wagged its tail in a furious rhythm while staring up at him with deep, amber coloured eyes. It was so… white and… fluffy… 

Shepard, Thane, Mordin and another human exited the shuttle and upon hearing his query both of the humans started laughing. It started as quiet giggles until they looked at each other and then at Garrus and then at the fluffy monstrosity that was still sniffing him curiously. Even Thane smirked briefly before settling back into his same stoic expression.

Mordin smiled. “Domestic species, similar to earth canines. Precisely Canis Lupus Arctos. Commonly known as Arctic Wolf. Can’t be exact, not from earth. Eye colour and size unusual.” He prattled on as he left the group and headed up in the elevator. Most likely heading to his lab.

“He thought that was me!” The new human male was taking deep breaths to calm himself and Shepard was doing the same, trying to calm her expression back to ‘Commander’ and less like ‘laughing twit’. Garrus was not as amused.

Finally they calmed and as the Commander introduced them he got his first real look at ‘the Ancestor’.

He might have been a little disappointed.


	4. Welcome To The Normundy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus looked completely stunned. Thane couldn’t blame him. If it wasn’t for EDI’s extensive scans on the planet confirming that there was no other evolved life forms on Tobias’s planet, then he wouldn’t have believed it.
> 
> “But you’re so…” Garrus gestured up and down at Tobias. “Squishy looking. It doesn’t make sense.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a kudos! yay! Thank you guest, whoever you are! And thank you all for the 39 hits too, nice to stoke the ego a little once in a while.
> 
> With the story, only Tobias will tell any of the story in first person. The others will have pieces told from their perspective but it will be third person mostly because I didn't create the characters originally I don't really know if I want to try for a first person Thane or something coz I don't know if I'd do him justice. If anyone thinks I should give it a shot please feel free to let me know.
> 
> thanks again :)

**-Tobias-**

When I finally calmed down enough at the alien who thought Fenrir was the new recruit I jumped up with a surprisingly girly, “Oh!” They all looked at me but I turned around and ignored them. Taking in my surroundings.

“Is this your first time on a space ship?” Shepard asks but I shake my head and continue to turn until I complete the circle and then I kneel down and place my hands on the metal grating at our feet.

“No that’s not it.” The technology of my people had been far more advanced than this in their final years. “It’s… alive…” I can feel the hum of life coursing through the ship… but its… constrained. Like it’s part of the ship but also separate. I stand up and they are looking at me like I’m some psycho. “An AI. Your ship has an AI, likely shackled. That’s the life I’m feeling. Your ship is… alive.”

Probably wouldn’t be a good idea to mention how the life in the ship will likely change due to my presence here, huh?

_Do you really need me to answer that?_

Oh come on old man, you know I just love to hear your voice.

“That’s right…” Shepard is eyeing me strangely as are the other two. Fenrir is just trotting around happily. He likes this place. “EDI is our AI. EDI?” Shepard announce as a hologram popped up at a little terminal near the elevator.

“Yes Commander Shepard?” Answered it’s feminine but monotonous voice. 

“Introduce yourself to our newest crew member.”

“Hello. I am EDI, the Enhanced Defense Intelligence AI that runs the cyberwarfare suites among other functions on board the Normandy.”

I smile. “Hey. I’m Tobias Lockhart latest addition to the team. Thank you for allowing me on board.”

There is a stunned silence after I thank the AI but I kinda guessed they’d react like that. There were many people (back when there were people on my planet) that refused to acknowledge AIs as actual sentient beings.

“It is not a problem Mr Lockhart. Commander Shepard allowed you on the ship.”

“Please, just Tobias is fine. Not really big on formalities.” It’s then that I turn my attention to the heavily armored alien that has gained Fenrir’s interest.

“Welcome to the Normandy Tobias.”

“That will be all EDI.”

“Logging you out Shepard.” The orb disappears.

He’s tall and his scent is different than the others… I can smell what I think is his blood but its strangely… tangy? Tingly? It tickles my nose in kind of a delightful way. It’s sweet but predatory as well. Kind of like pine mixed with something almost acidic but in a good way. Like lemony peppermint. Now I kind of want to lick him. His face is all sharp angles with rough hide like skin showing through heavier stiff mandibles and long curving –horns?- running from his forehead and sweeping back gracefully. But that’s not why I’m staring, it’s his eyes. Intense blue, predatory. I suppress a shiver that runs up along my spine. Two large predatory males who are sexy as hell?

I’m in heaven.

_Tobias…_

I know, I know. But dear gods it’s been a long time since we’ve been laid. Admit it. You like them too. I’ll take two of each please, just in case I break the first ones.

_If you drool_ **I** _am taking over._

I don’t really have time to form a witty response as I vaguely realize that the Commander has asked me a question. I concentrate for a moment and remember that she was asking me about where I want to sleep. “Anywhere is fine, I’ll stay wherever Fenrir sleeps. I’m gonna take a wild guess that you don’t want him running all over the ship? So down here I guess. It’s open enough and Fenrir hates small spaces.” Understatement of the millennium. Try to lock Fenrir in a room and the room won’t last long.

“I don’t get it.” The oddly avian alien finally speaks and his deep flanging voice almost makes me kneel and beg me to take him then and there. Okay, it really has been too long if I’m about to jizz in my pants after four words. “This planet is in the middle of nowhere, certainly not anywhere near Earth. So why is he human?” Oh gods! Keep talking! Nevermind - I wanna be his pet, and I don’t mind if he breaks me a little.

The Commander looks to me, “I am a little curious myself.” She speaks carefully, as though she’s afraid she’s going to offend me with her curiosity. I’m guessing that because sexy-in-leather is still here that he might be interested as well. That, or he’s plotting my demise. Usually scents tell me when people around me are curious or plotting to kill me but just like everything else about the mysterious Drell, his scent is… guarded. He smells guarded. Probably just his personality.

I shrug and take off my vest earning some rather surprised looks from my companions. I can tell they’re eyeing me up, staring at my scars but that’s not what I’m going to show them. “I’m not human.” I say simply and allow my stripes to show.

**-Thane-**

When he took off his vest Thane could not help but stare at the sudden amount of flesh the male was showing off. Tobias had a smirk on his face and exuded pure confidence and not an ounce of shame about his scars. His body was lean and toned, not an ounce of fat but covered in taught, wiry muscle. He had a deep scar that spread from his left shoulder and down diagonally over his chest and stomach. As he turned slightly Thane could see that it similarly spread down his back as well in an almost identical line. No, it was completely symmetrical. Thane blinked quickly noting the abnormality. There was also a deep and jagged scar that cut down from where his heart should be and crossing over the other scar at his front. They were thick so the wounds that made them must have been incredibly deep. It was a miracle that anyone could have survived such wounds.

Tobias tosses his vest to the side. “I’m not human.” He says quietly and parts of his skin start to alter in colour and Thane noticed that now there was another scent in the air. Something sweet but also salty as parts of Tobias’s skin changed colour. First just a darkening of part of his torso and then it darkened to tan lines that stretched across his back and chest and down his arms. In seconds the tan lines darkened completely to black and if Thane hadn’t just watched it with his own eyes it would look like he was covered in tattoos. The stripes looked familiar and after a moment of searching his memory he pulled out a simple recollection.

“ _Cages, growls. Scents of sweat and animal urine in the air. Large growls, green eyes and orange fur. Stripes curve from its back and teeth bare in its caged defiance._ ” Thane blinks again as his vision clears and he parts with his memory to find that they are looking at him. Garrus looks confused, Shepard looks understanding and Tobias raises an eyebrow.

“I think Thane’s trying to say that your, uh, stripes, look like the stripes on a Tiger.” Shepard clarifies. “Tigers are an animal native to earth. Look it up on the extranet.” She continues when the avian alien opens his mouth to ask.

Thane nods, still watching Tobias. With his stripes on display Thane can’t help but notice that he is attractive, the stripes curve from his back and around to his front but all of them end before the reach the center of his chest. The ones on his stomach and hips actually curve downwards and a few vanish into the top if his pants. Thane wonders for a moment how far down they actually go. But noticing that his thoughts have turned to something far from professional he drags his eyes back up to Tobias’s face.

Tobias’s eyes meet his and he knows he’s been caught. Another smirk from Tobias before the young man turns and looks back to Shepard. “Go ahead and ask. I can tell by your scent that you’re curious.”

“So you can just turn your stripes on and off?” 

“Bit more complicated than that, but yes.”

When Tobias nods she continues. “You knew that the ship had an AI before any of us mentioned it? And you can ‘smell’ things about people like curiosity or greed?”

“Yeah.”

“How?”

Tobias shrugs a little. “I don’t know; how do you breathe? Or blink? Or swallow?” He crosses one arm over his chest like he did back on the planet and once more begins to toy with the charm around his neck. “I just can. Little funny when those Cerberus guys realized I wasn’t just some human guy they could push around.” He snorts. “Ok so a lot more than just little.” He finishes with a smile.

“So wait.” Garrus finally speaks up again. “Do you even have armour or any other weapons besides those outdated things?”

“Nope.”

“So you took out that entire Cerberus outpost on your own? Without armour? Or decent weapons?”

“Yep.”

Garrus looked completely stunned. Thane couldn’t blame him. If it wasn’t for EDI’s extensive scans on the planet confirming that there was no other evolved life forms on Tobias’s planet, then he wouldn’t have believed it.

“But you’re so…” Garrus gestured up and down at Tobias. “Squishy looking. It doesn’t make sense.”

Thane raised a brow ridge at Garrus.

Tobias smiled almost sweetly and took a few steps closer to Garrus, which allowed Thane to see more of the stripes on his back. And the way his tight pants hugged the back of his thighs. He committed the image to his memory. “Oh big guy, I guarantee I’m hard enough in all the right places, maybe we should go somewhere private? Test out our different… biology.” Tobias finished with a purr, leaning so close to Garrus that he was almost touching him. Now Garrus really looked flustered and his subharmonics were letting out little confused trills that thankfully, Shepard couldn’t hear. He had no idea what to do in this situation and it didn’t look like Tobias could understand Garrus’s subharmonics either. He delicately, almost lovingly, placed and hand on the Turian’s armoured cowl. 

Then Garrus made a noise with his subvocals that indicated that he might actually be interested in Tobias. Thane let out a possessive growl with his own second set of vocal cords, effectively warning Garrus off, before he realized what he was doing and carefully clamped down on his second voice. Thane had no idea what had come over him, why he felt a jolt of possessiveness surge through him like that.

Garrus looked shocked. Shepard had no idea. Tobias stepped slightly away from Garrus and gave Thane a smug look. Then it became clear. He could hear, and likely understand, both of their subvocals. Arashu protect him.


	5. Universal law of elevators.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On their way to the armoury Shepard and Tobias talk a little about his past and Miranda is upset at the dog on board the Normandy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve added an extra deck to the Normandy, it will be referred to as the Subdeck or Hangar, it’s where the shuttle sits and you can kinda see it through the window when you go down to engineering (they call it Deck 5 in the wiki but I like subdeck better) but you can’t go down there like you can in the first and third games so in this story you can take the elevator down an extra floor to it and behind the elevator the deck extends and there’s a large gym set up there. Coz seriously, Cerberus put a fish tank in the SR-2 but couldn’t spring for a gym? Priorities people. Besides Tobias needed a space, all the other characters had their own spaces so he gets the shuttle bay.
> 
> And I’m sorry it took so long to update, I kinda got caught up in some ‘Rise of the Guardians’ love so I was working on other projects.

*****Tobias*****  
After the interesting little exchange down in the Hangar, Shepard, Thane and I are in the elevator heading up to Deck 3 to drop off our possessive little assassin before heading up to Deck 2 to ‘update’ my equipment. 

I can’t help a little smirk at that. Aren’t they in for a surprise?

“Something on your mind?” Shepard notices my smile.

“Is it just the law of the universe that dictates that elevators have to move painfully slowly? I mean really, I feel like we’ve been in here for ten minutes and we haven’t even moved up a floor.” I can’t help but grumble a little.

Shepard lets out a short bark of laughter. “You think this is bad, you should head to the Citadel.”

I snort a little and cross my arms over my chest (once more covered slightly by my favorite vest). “Couldn’t possibly be worse than my old job. I used to work in a tower, 100 levels above ground and about 50 below. Fucking sucked.”

“How’d you manage?” Shepard asks.

Shrugging, I look at her with a smile. “Maybe one day I’ll show you.”

“What sort of work did you do?”

Goody, I didn’t want to bring this up myself but I just know it’s going to get his attention.

Like you haven’t done enough of that already.

I can feel your metaphorical eyes rolling at me you know.

“Assassin.” I say out loud. I keep my eyes forward as though the elevator doors are the most fascinating things in the world but I feel two sets of eyes on me. Toying with the charm at my neck idly I wait for their inevitable questions but as luck would have it the elevator doors open and EDI announces that we have arrived at Deck 3, the Crew Deck.

Turning to them I raise an eyebrow, twiddling with my little cylindrical charm. It’s easier to think of it as a charm even though it’s more a mark of my… shame. That time was… I push those thoughts away as I look at them both expectantly.

“Problem?” I ask innocently.

“Not at all.” Shepard assures me. “Do you have a specific skillset?” Thane finally gathers himself and leaves the elevator. Onward to the CIC deck I guess.

“I deal damage that’s most effective medium to short range, although I can do long range. Pretty skilled in hand-to-hand, might be a little rusty, I mean I’ve had Fenrir to spar with but he’s quadrupedal so… yeah, not the same. I also have some abilities that can inflict a lot of wide area damage but I have to be extremely short range to use them… ah, infiltration and sabotage… good with explosives? It’s kinda tricky to know what you mean when you say ‘skillset’. Allotta things I can do are just things I can do; like abilities I was born with. Stuff many of my people could do – and I don’t really know what your people can do. Might be best just to show you first hand but if we’re in a fight then just point me at ‘em and stand back. If you need someone killed silently and for some reason don’t wanna use the Drell than I’m good for that too. I like being flashy when I fight but… well, just because I put on a front doesn’t make me any less dangerous. There are a lot of people who underestimate me. I use that to my advantage.” Frowning I tap my foot slightly. Is there anything I’m missing?

_Not unless you want to talk about me or cut yourself. The other things… they wouldn’t understand. Not yet._

Cutting myself! Genius!

_No! Tobias don’t-!... You… are a moron._

I used one of my fingernails to neatly slice a line up my arm while listening to his objections. He would totally be slapping his forehead right now if he had one. “I can also do this, watch!” I say excitedly while Shepard watches me and my arm like I’m some kind of madman.

Of course seconds pass before Shepard lets out a little huff as the wound on my arm heals itself completely and all that’s left is a slight smear of blood.

“You regenerate, like the Krogan or Vorcha.”

“No idea what they are but yeah, haven’t had a wound yet that I couldn’t heal from. Case in point.” I gesture to my scars. “Closest that’s come to killing me, someone tore out my heart.” I point at the spot on my chest where my vest is covering the scar over my heart. “And another charming friend of mine tried to rip me in half.” I trace my thumb down diagonally across my other scar. “Not really fun but most physical injuries can be shrugged off and I’ve been shot more times than I can count so shouldn’t really have to worry about that either.”

“Someone tore out your heart? That’s-”

I wave my hand dismissively. “Eh, it wasn’t so bad. Well it sucked when it happened but they’re all dead now and I’m still alive. Last laugh and all that.”

The elevator arrives at our destination and I walk beside her as she leads me down a corridor, heading towards the armory. We chat idly about my ‘regenerative capabilities’ on the way. Until we run into a very pissed off, albeit stunning, woman in a skin tight white suit with black accents. Thick, wavy chocolate hair and blue eyes like clear water. Flawless skin, high cheekbones and prominent pouting lips. But there’s something off about it. Something almost… fake about her beauty.

Her scent is… unpleasant. Floral soap and shampoo, no real surprises there but there’s a strangely silicone undertone. She’s been modded. Pretty heavily by the looks of things. Gen-mods… I had hoped that sort of thing died out with my people but of course Cerberus had long since proved me otherwise. Will people never learn?

_Evidently not._

People suck.

“You brought a dog on board the Normandy?!” Wow her face looks really ugly when it’s all twisted up in anger.

“Tobias wouldn’t leave him behind. The Illusive Man is the one who wanted the ‘Ancestor’ on our team so badly.”

“So you brought back a boy and an animal?!”

This woman is making me anxious. I don’t like it or her. Her scent has changed to something purely confrontational and I may not be a good soldier but even I know not to yell at my commanding officer. The scent of crackling ozone fills the air and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Biotics… of course.

I place myself in front of Shepard and let out a low warning growl. I may be a little on the disrespectful side but even I wouldn’t be outright hostile to my commanding officer.

The woman huffs in annoyance and her arm glows blue as she flicks her hand at me. I feel her biotics tingle across my skin, she was going to throw me.

It didn’t work but that was totally a sign of aggression right? I am now well within my rights (assuming these space people have rights) to defend myself now right?

_Would you stop if I said no?_

***Squeeeal!* Do it!**

It takes half a second for me to make up my mind as the awful smelling chick’s eyes widen in shock. My arm shoots out and I grab her roughly around her neck before turning her body and slamming her into a wall.

“Biotics? Rude.” I turn to the commander. She crosses her arms and I roll my eyes. “Fine.” I let the obnoxious woman go. “You smell terrible. If Shepard had brought you down to Vanguard I would have killed you all.”

**You should just kill them now! You had her right there! We could have ripped her throat out with our teeth!**

Quit you’re whining… We forgot to bring our toothbrush anyway. I bet she’d taste as horrible as she smells.

“I would like to introduce my XO, Miranda Lawson.”

I snort. “Don’t die then or we’re all fucking doomed.” Well except us, hey old buddy?

_It’s times like this I can’t help but wonder what I did to deserve being stuck with the two of you._

Yeah, it must have been something fantastic. I know you love me. Who else would have you?

**One maniacal Bloodlust free with every Tobias purchase.**

_No one told me that._

**It was in the fine print. Written in our blood. Might have been illegible… I was licking it.**

Will you two stop? We should be paying attention.

Miranda was berating Shephard about dogs and my clearly aggressive behavior and bad attitude... blah blah. Maybe you guys should continue your argument, this is boring.

Lawson turns to me with a sneer. “And you, how did you resist my Pull? My biotics are quite strong, even when compared to the Asari.” Wow, full of herself too I see. The whole snob package. I’m not being very nice but her scent is really disgustingly fake. If she wasn’t feeling so angry and the left over stench of biotics… yeah I’d lose my lunch if I’d eaten any.

I shrug. “Dunno. There were no biotics on my planet till you Cerberus assholes showed up and tried to kill me with them.” Mostly honest. There was no eezo on his planet so no one had developed biotic abilities ‘naturally’. “Tickles mostly.” I add thinking it important.

We’re about a meter away from what I’m guessing is the armory. It smells like oil, fresh cut metals and a bunch of other synthetic scents. I miss the good ol’ days of gunpowder and steel. Shepard is putting Miranda in her place with a few intelligent words, she’s good at this diplomatic stuff. Diplomacy and politics were never really my forte so having a CO that’s good at this kind of thing is a plus. No telling what sort of things we’ll encounter out here in the big wide unknown. 

How much will still be left over from our time do you think?

_Very little, only enough to keep things going. Preparing for the next harvest._

Yeah, I know we never pay attention to the date and stuff but we probably should have noticed it was getting to be about that time. Could have prepared earlier.

_Famous last words._

And wasn’t that a sad reminder? Of course all the ‘if only’ scenarios won’t actually bring any of them back. Pushing those depressing thoughts to the back of my mind I play with my little charm again while watching Shepard give Miranda an ‘I’m not taking any of your shit’ look. For a former dead woman she really does have a commanding presence. I wonder if she knows she was dead? Glancing back up at Miranda and her stupid Cerberus logo it’s not hard to figure that those morons had something to do with it. Shepard seems like a warrior who’d accept her death with better grace so I can only assume that it probably wasn’t done to her with her permission. Not that you can ask a corpse anything.

**We’d know. We’ve tried. Should try it again sometime.**

*****Thane Krios*****  
Sere Krios retired immediately to the life support room that he had claimed upon entering service to the Commander. His thoughts uncharacteristically troubled. As a very well trained martial artist and assassin he had spent many years of his life deep in meditation in order to keep his thoughts calm at all times. To have that suddenly disturbed was somewhat alarming.

Particularly when it was an alluring young man who was doing the disturbing. Thane stood almost unnaturally still. Yes, he found the boy alluring. Despite his claims otherwise Thane was not convinced Tobias had been honest about his age. He had not given them his exact age, he had been rather unspecific in stating, ‘He was older than he looked’, which left his age open to interpretation. Thane’s interpretation was that the boy was quite young. His attitude and carefree demeanor supported his theory but… He knew about the Reapers. He hadn’t gone into specific details about that either. 

It hadn’t escaped the Drell assassin’s notice that Tobias had spoken often but not revealed all that much about himself or his furred comrade.

Tobias looked human. Fenrir looked like a wolf. Both humans and wolves are native to Earth. Neither Tobias nor Fenrir are from Earth or any of the human colonies. It would seem that both of them are more than what they appear.

Tobias’s stripes certainly supported that theory. When Tobias had shown them his stripes his scent had also changed. It was already alluring, muscular but fresh, musky but strangely sweet. Almost feminine but definitely masculine. A scent full of intoxicating contradictions. When his stripes had begun to darken on his chest the scent had changed, become sharper and more defined. And significantly harder to resist. 

Using his eidetic memory to recount the moment and all of its minute details Thane decided that the scent was probably what triggered a possessive reaction from the Drell. He had been unprepared for such an allure aboard a human vessel. He would not be as unprepared next time and he would not let it bother him again. He would warn Garrus as well. It was likely the Turian with his advanced sense of smell was likely also affected by the scent of Tobias’s stripes. Although if he was affected in the same way as Thane was impossible to tell.

Thane sat down quietly with his hands resting lightly on the table in front of him. He would meditate on the matter. He believed he owed an apology to his friend. It was not Garrus’s fault Thane acted the way he did. He would make amends as soon as he calmed himself sufficiently to do so.

Thane took even breaths and calmed his body down and closed his eyes.

But even with his theory about Tobias’s scent being the main catalyst for his attraction earlier his mind kept wandering to the memory of Tobias without his shirt. Tracing the scars down his back. Wondering how far his stripes curled down into his pants. His lithe and tight musculature. His dark blue eyes and full mouth…


End file.
